1. Make sure you have installed the latest version of Install Manager (DIM). At the time of this article, that was version 1.0.1.81. Make sure you have at least this version. You can download the installer for Install Manager through 'Product Library,' or, better, you can allow DIM to update.

2. Uninstall Carrara 8.5 beta. If you already have one of the beta versions of Carrara 8.5 installed, you should uninstall it. It is not recommended that you have the beta and the release versions of Carrara 8.5 installed at the same time.

To uninstall Carrara 8.5 beta, use the uninstaller located in the 'uninstallers' folder in Carrara.

Windows:

c:\Program Files\DAZ 3D\Carrara 8.5 beta\uninstallers

Mac

MacHD\Applications\DAZ 3D\Carrara 8.5 beta\uninstallers

You need to remove Carrara 8.5 beta first before you use Install Manager to install Carrara 8.5 Pro (release). Install Manager can only uninstall what it has installed. It will not remove Carrara 8.5 beta because that would have been installed with a Bitrock installer. Use the uninstaller in the 'uninstallers' folder.

3. After you've done the above, launch Install Manager and log into it. Look up Carrara 8.5 Pro. If you have only Carrara 8.5, simply do a search for Carrara 8.5. Your results will be similar to this screen shot below. They will differ if you are on a 32-bit Windows system or if you are using the Mac. For example, if you are using MacOS 10.8, you should see (Mac 64-bit) rather than (Win 64-bit).

4. Check the box for Carrara 8.5 Pro. and press 'Start Queue.' in the bottom left. See the screen shot below.

6. If you have the box for 'Install After Download' checked, Install Manager will proceed to install Carrara 8.5 Pro. If you do not, then in the 'Ready to Install' Tab, check the box next to Carrara 8.5 Pro and press 'Start Queue' on the bottom left. Please see the screen shot below. This shows installation in progress.

7. Carrara 8.5 Pro is now installed and appears in the 'Installed' tab in Install Manager. Please see the screen shot below.

8. Now you will need to install Carrara 8 Native Content and Carrara 8.5 Pro Native Content. These are actually two different things and you need *both* of them for Carrara 8.5 Pro to work properly. If you are using Carrara 8 (Std), then you need 'Carrara 8 Native Content' and 'Carrara 8.5 Native Content.'

PLEASE Keep in mind that these are native content and that means they are native to Carrara. They must be installed to the Carrara application folder. This differs from other types of content that Carrara also supports, like Victoria 4.2, Genesis, Genesis 2 Female Essentials, and so forth, that are designed for use with DAZ Studio or Poser.

Please do not install Carrara Native Content (8, 8.5 and 8.5 Pro) to a 'custom' path. It will not work correctly. If you need a custom path for content, reserve that for DAZ Studio and Poser format content.

In Install Manager, search for 'Carrara 8 Native Content' without the quotes. It doesn't matter whether you are using Carrara 8.5 Pro or Carrara 8.5 (Std). The name is the same for both. See the screen shot below:

9. Now should install Carrara 8.5 Pro Native Content. As mentioned earlier, Carrara 8.5 Pro Native Content is different from Carrara 8 Native Content and you need both of them for Carrara 8.5 Pro. For Carrara 8.5 (Standard), you need both Carrara 8 Native Content and Carrara 8.5 Native Content.

If you are installing Carrara 8.5 (Standard), then simply do a search for "Carrara 8.5" without the quotes. You will see "Carrara 8.5 Native Content." If you still have your search up for Carrara 8.5 Pro or Carrara 8.5, then you should already see the 'Native Content' option present. The procedure for installing is otherwise exactly the same. See the screen shot below.

10. Check the box for Native Content and press 'Start Queue.' Install Manager will download. If you have 'Install After Download' checked, Install Manager will proceed to install. If you don't, then have Install Manager install the Native Content.

11. To restate, you will need to install Native Content for Carrara 8.5:

12. Carrara 8.5 Pro also has several additional content options, like Genesis Starter Essentials, Michael 5, and Victoria 5. These can be installed like other content with Install Manager. They are not native format to Carrara and so they can be installed to a valid custom path. The path is mapped in Carrara and then Carrara can display the particular content in the Browser in the 'Content' and the 'Smart Content' tabs.

13. Carrara 8.5 Pro users can also use Install Manager to install Render Node. Render Node is a network client that requires that you have at least two or more computers connected to a network. If you do not have two or more computers connected to a network, you cannot use RenderNode. It is recommended that you do not install RenderNode onto the same computer on which you have the main Carrara 8.5 Pro installed.

14. First, uninstall any previous version of RenderNode from the 'client' computer. Use the uninstaller in 'uninstallers' for it.

15. To install RenderNode on a 'client' computer with Install Manager, you will first need to have Install Manager installed (Install Manager 1.0.1.81 or higher). Launch Install Manager and log into it. Do a search for "RenderNode" without the quotes. Have Install Manager install RenderNode. You do not need to install 'Native Content' for RenderNode.